AN ELECTRICIAN who went off to work in the Antarctic had a white Christmas but little cheer during the festive period.

Allan Thomas left his job at Express Creamery, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, to work at the British Antarctic Survey's immense Halley Research Station in April.

Mr Thomas, originally from Redcar, was looking forward to a cosy Christmas with his workmates but the ship containing fresh supplies - and Christmas presents - has so far failed to get through.

However Mr Thomas, who uses the skills he learned maintaining the cold store at the creamery to maintain the research centre's power supply, said he still managed to have a brief conversation with his parents and crack open a couple of drinks with his 15 colleagues.

He explained that work during the warmer months at the Antarctic was vital for the research team which discovered the hole in the ozone layer in 1985.

He said: "It was a shame we have not got any presents from home, or any special supplies, but our chef whipped up a cracking Christmas dinner for us, and a small stock of booze was shared out between everyone. I think we are getting turkey curry today so some things are the same wherever you go!

"It is quite warm down here at the moment. It is our summer now and the temperatures are about minus two to minus five so it is t-shirts and shorts weather. I am constantly amazed at how everyone has adapted to the cold.

"I wouldn't dream of sitting outside drinking beer in a t-shirt back home in minus five. However here it is a time for getting outside work done, albeit with massive amounts of suncream on. We are working with no ozone above us so skin care is extremely important."

Mr Thomas, who is in his early thirties, said staff work 12-hour shifts, including on Christmas Day, while the weather is relatively warm.

Antarctica is 58 times the size of the UK. The Halley Research Centre is on the Brunt ice shelf.